Ore separating apparatus



July 11, 1967 A. o. VELEZ ORE SEPARATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 23, 1965 3 INVENTOR.

i; VELEZ ATTORNEY 44 ANoDml-iE A. O. VELEZ July 11, 1967 ORE SEPARAT ING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1965 I N VEN TOR. ANDRE O. VELEZ ZWW 5mm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,330,412 ORE SEPARATING APPARATUS Andres O. Velez, 2156 NW. Irving St., Apt. 301, Portland, Oreg. 97210 Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,297 6 Claims. (Cl. 209-451) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an apparatus for separating ore.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for separating ore which has features of simplicity and at the same time accomplish an efficient separation of the ore.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an ore separating apparatus which utilizes a plurality of frusto-conical, rotating drums interfitted into each other and having means to receive an ore-containing slurry wherein said slurry is passed by gravity from one drum to the next, the drums containing means for separating out certain of the ores as the slurry moves by gravity from one drum to the next.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the type described utilizing a plurality of frusto-conical drums interfitted and connected together in a novel arrangement.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the type described which utilizes a plurality of interfitted drums having a novel construction whereby to separate out certain ores admitted to the apparatus while suspended in a slurry.

Additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic, showing apparatus embodied in a first form of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view taken through a separating portion of the apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of a second form of separating apparatus.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the numeral designates in general a separating portion of the apparatus. This portion has an inlet end 11 and an outlet end 11a and is associated with a hopper 12 adjacent its inlet end into which ore materials 14 are deposited by any suitable means. Hopper 12 has an outlet spout 16 directed into the inlet end of the separating portion 10. As will be seen hereinafter, the materials 14 are preferably suspended in a liquid and flow through the portion 10 in slurry form. To convert dry ore material to a slurry, a water tank 13 is associated with the hopper 12 to supply water to the said hopper and has a valved outlet 20 for admitting water in controlled amounts thereto. Preferably, an agitator 21 is associated with the hopper 12 to maintain the dry ore material and water in slurry form.

The separating portion 10 has a central shaft 22 projecting beyond each end for journaled engagement in hearing members 24, FIGURE 1, suitably mounted on support means not shown. One end of the shaft 22 projects beyond its bearing 24 and has a pulley 26 keyed thereon which is driven by an electric motor 28 through belt means 30. Suitably supported below the portion 10 at the outlet end is a discharge trough or conveyor 32.

Referring now in particular to FIGURES 2 and 3, which show the detailed construction of the separating portion 10, it will be seen that said portion comprises a plurality of interfitted or telescoped hollow drums 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e and 34f. These drums are frusto-conical in shape 3,330,412 Patented July 11, 1967 ice and have selected diameters to provide the telescoping relationship shown in FIGURE 2, a small space 36 being provided between adjacent drums. As will be seen, the relationship of the drums is such that when an ore-containing slurry is deposited in the smaller end of the inner most drum, such slurry will flow by gravity from the first drum to the next and so on until finally the slurry flows out through the larger end.

The drums 34a-34f are secured rigidly but removediy to the shaft 22 by two or more cross bolts 38 which preferably have a head 40 on one end and threads on the opposite end for receiving nuts 42. Each of the drums carries integrally on its inner surface pairs of diametrically opposed hollow bushings 44 adapted to receive the bolts 38 and to hold the drums in the spaced assembled condition illustrated in FIGURE 2. The bushings 44 are secured to the inner surface of the drums in any suitable manner such as by Welding.

The ends of bushings 44 which engage the shaft 22 are contoured at 46, FIGURE 3, to conform to the shape of the shaft, and the shaft is provided with apertures 48 for receiving the bolts 38. Thus it will be seen that the bushings 44 are arranged to hold the drums in spaced relation and are provided in number and are located at points where the bolts pass through the apparatus and where a spaced connection is necessary between adjacent drums.

The smaller ends of the drums are provided with inturned flanges 50 which correspond in length to the length of the bushings 44 whereby to serve as spacing and abutting means at said one end of the apparatus.

The large ends of the drums have end caps or closures 52. These caps are removably attached to their respective drums, and for this purpose they have a selected dimension across their diameter where-by to fit within the large end of the drums and are provided with inturned flanges 54 on their outer edges for attaching connection with screws 56. The flanges 54 are angled selectively relative to the end cap 52 for fitting snugly against the inner surface of the drums.

Each of the end caps 52 has a central opening 60 which, as seen in FIGURE 2, is of a selected diameter such that the lower edge of the opening is in a plane below the lower edge of the adjacent drum disposed toward the inlet or smaller end. Thus, the flow of slurry through the apparatus 10 will maintain substantially the level indicated by phantom lines 62 and overflow from one drum to the next and finally be deposited in the discharge trough 32 in the manner illustrated by arrows 64.

In the operation of the apparatus the slurry is admitted into the inlet or right end (FIGURE 2) of drum 34a by means of spout 16, the drums 18 being rotating as the slurry is admitted. The separating portion 10 may be rotated in either direction and furthermore the motor 28 may be a reversible type motor wherein if desired said separating portion may be rotated first in one direction and then in the other direction to accomplish an efficient agitating action. After the first drum 34a fills to the level of the bottom edge of its opening 60 the slurry overflows into the next drum and so on. As the slurry flows through the apparatus, and is somewhat agitated by rotation of the drums, the heavier particles settle in the areas behind the caps 52, such areas being designated by the reference numeral 66. Lighter ore particles are maintained in suspension in the slurry and flow off into the next drum. It is apparent that many of the heavier particles in the slurry will settle in the first drum or possibly be carried over to the second drum, and that the entrapment of ore in the areas 66 will depend much upon the diflerent kinds of ore in the slurry and their specific gravities.

It is desirable that the material being processed. be first screened in order to remove large chunks or ore or rock since the present device is intended primarily for the separation of ore from a granular material such as sand or the like. V

To remove the settled out particles from the areas 66 a water jet is directed through the open ends of the device to wash these areas, or if such cannot be done efficiently then it is merely necessary to remove the two bolts 38 and disassemble the drums one from the other whereby the settled out particles may be removed in any suitable manner.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a somewhat modified form of apparatus and is designated by the numeral a. In this apparatus there is similarly employed a plurality of drums 13411-134f. In this embodiment, however, only the drum 134a is of elongated construction and the remaining drums 13412-1341, although of frusto-conical shape, are

of shortened construction. Furthermore, the drums only overlap a slight amount and are secured together integrally by rear, inwardly turned flanges 50a welded or otherwise secured to an adjacent drum.

Drum portion 10a is arranged for mounting on a shaft 22a in a manner similar to the FIGURE 1 embodiment, having at least two cross bolts 38a and bushings 44a. Each of the drums has a forward end Wall 5211 provided with a central opening 60a with the bottom edge of the openings being' disposed in progressively lower planes from inlet to outlet. Thus, slurrysimilarly flows from one drum to the next and deposits heavier ore particles in areas 66a behind the walls 52a. 7 a Each drum 13411-134 is provided with an opening 68 having internal threads and adapted to receive a threaded plug 70. These openings are located at the lowermost portion of each area 66a and are for removing ore particles which have settled in the said areas. Such is preferably accomplished by removing the plug and flushing such ore therefrom by means of a water jet;

'It'is to be understood that the apparatus of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a pre ferred example of the same and that variousrchanges in .7 the shape, size or arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoine'd claims. For example, the number of drums utilized may vary depending upon the'set- .tling steps required to remove ores of certain specific gravitie's. For example if the slurry contains two or more types of ore which differ greatly in specific gravity a limited number of drums may be needed since the heavier particles will settle out quite fact. On the other hand if there are several types of ores in the slurry and these ores are of somewhat similar specific gravity, then a considerable number of the drums may be needed.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim: 1. An apparatus for separating ore particlesof different specific gravities from ore material, comprising a plurality of hollow rotating drums each having a peripheral defining wall tapered longitudinally so as to 'be smaller at one end, end walls in the outlet ends of said drums, the smaller ends of each drum having an inlet opening and the end walls of each drum at the outlet ends having an outlet opening, said drums being of progressively varying size and being interfitted in longitudinal overlapping relation and arranged to deposit ore material in the next larger drum, the outlet openings of said drums being disposed progressively at least in part in lower planes than the outlet opening of the next smaller drum whereby ore material progresses gravitationally therethrough as the drums rotate, the end walls in said outlet ends of said drums being arranged to trap ore particles which settle by'gravity. V

2. The ore separating apparatus of claiml including removable end walls on the outlet ends of said drums, said end walls having said outlet openings therein.

3. The ore separating apparatus of claim 1 including removable end walls on the outlet ends of said drums, said end walls having said outlet openings therein and comprising the means for trapping. ore particles which settle by gravity.

4. The ore separating apparatus of claim lincluding a central horizontal shaft, means for rotatably driving said shaft, and means connecting said drums to the shaft for rotation therewith. g

5. The ore separating apparatus of claim 1 including a central horizontal shaft, means for rotatably driving said shaft, and means removably connecting said drums to the shaft for rotation therewith.

6. The ore separating apparatus of claim 1 including an ore material hopper opening into the inlet end of said separating apparatus, and fluid supply means associated with said hopper for forming 'said ore material into a slurry prior to admittance into said separating portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,098,497 6/1914 Hardinge 209--l V FOREIGN PATENTS 304,508 1/1929 Great Britain; 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING ORE PARTICLES OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES FROM ORE MATERIAL, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW ROTATING DRUMS EACH HAVING A PERIPHERAL DEFINING WALL TAPERED LONGITUDINALLY SO AS TO BE SMALLER AT ONE END, END WALLS IN THE OUTLET ENDS OF SAID DRUMS, THE SMALLER ENDS OF EACH DRUM HAVING AN INLET OPENING AND THE END WALLS OF EACH DRUM AT THE OUTLET ENDS HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING, SAID DRUMS BEING OF PROGRESSIVELY VARYING SIZE AND BEING INTERFITTED IN LONGITUDINAL OVERLAPPING RELATION AND ARRANGED TO DEPOSIT ORE MATERIAL IN THE NEXT LARGER DRUM, THE OUTLET OPENINGS OF SAID DRUMS BEING DISPOSED PROGRESSIVELY AT LEAST IN PART IN LOWER PLANES THAN THE OUTLET OPENING OF THE NEXT SMALLER DRUM WHEREBY ORE MATERIAL PROGRESSES GRAVITATIONALLY THERETHROUGH AS THE DRUMS ROTATE, THE END WALLS IN SAID OUTLET ENDS OF SAID DRUMS BEING ARRANGED TO TRAP ORE PARTICLES WHICH SETTLE BY GRAVITY. 